Gill has been sidelined since picking up a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens last month, while Pandya has been out of action following the left quadricep injury he sustained during the Asia Cup 2025.
File Photo: IANS
India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has offered a positive update on the recovery of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya, confirming that both players are on track to return for the upcoming South Africa T20I series, starting in Cuttack on Tuesday. The skipper also shed light on the team’s preferred structure and combination heading into a crucial phase before next year’s ICC men’s T20 World Cup.
Gill has been sidelined since picking up a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens last month, while Pandya has been out of action following the left quadricep injury he sustained during the Asia Cup 2025.
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Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the opening T20I, Suryakumar expressed confidence in the duo’s fitness. “Both (Gill and Pandya) are looking healthy and fit,” said Suryakumar, signalling that India will likely have two of their most influential white-ball players back in the mix.
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He further underlined how crucial Pandya remains to the balance of the side, especially with his bowling contributions. Reflecting on the all-rounder’s performances, he added, “What you saw in the Asia Cup also, when he (Hardik) was bowling with the new ball, he opened up a lot of options, combinations for us with respect to the playing XI.”
“That’s what he brings to the table. His experience, the way he has done well in all big games, all ICC events, ACC events. I think that experience will count a lot and his presence will definitely give a good balance to the side,” he added.
Asked whether Rinku Singh is still in the scheme of things, with the rise of Shivam Dube, Suryakumar said, “Dube is an all-rounder. So, he and Hardik are the all-rounders. You can’t compare an all-rounder. The thing is, all the batters from 3 to 7 are capable of batting at any position.”
Suryakumar also spoke at length about the roles within the batting order, the importance of flexibility in the middle order, and Sanju Samson’s position in the squad. He reiterated that while personnel may adapt to situations, the team’s core formula will largely remain unchanged in the coming series.
“Combinations, ideally, in the last five, six series, which we’ve played, we’ve tried and played with a similar combination. We’ve not changed too much. We don’t want to change a lot, even going into the next two series also. The only thing is what type of cricket we want to play. That is one thing which we always want to try and do when we take the field,” SKY said.
“Rest, we don’t want to change anything what’s happening. I think touchwood, everything is going well. So we wanted to continue the same way. We don’t want to change anything.
“In terms of Sanju, yes, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher up the order. Now, the thing is, other than the openers, I feel everyone has to be very flexible. He did really well before when he opened the innings, but Shubman (Gill) had played before him in the Sri Lanka series and so he deserved to take that spot.
“We gave Sanju opportunities. He was ready to bat at any number, which actually is good to see any player being very flexible, batting from 3 to 6 anywhere,” he added.
India enter the South Africa T20Is with momentum, having recently sealed an impressive 2–1 series win in Australia’s backyard after lifting the Asia Cup title. With the World Cup less than three months away, every outing is vital for sharpening the depth and clarity of roles within the squad.
For India, this series is the start of a 10-match run into the home T20 World Cup in February, and form a key part of India’s final preparations for the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. The hosts and defending champions have been drawn in Group A with Pakistan, USA, Namibia and Netherlands. South Africa, who finished runners-up in the previous edition, are placed in Group D alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, and UAE.
Suryakumar maintained that the groundwork for the upcoming T20 World Cup started long ago.
“Our 2026 T20 World Cup preparation began right after we won the T20 World Cup in 2024… Our preparation is similar. The preparation started after the T20 World Cup 2024 got over. Since then, we have been trying new things, and everything is working for us,” the captain said.
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